The British government has signed an agreement with Italy and Japan to develop a series of fighter jets using “cutting edge” technology and designed to defend the skies in the 2030s.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the deal for the next-generation Tempest jets during a visit to RAF Coningsby, a fighter jet base in Lincolnshire.
Sunak said: “The security of the United Kingdom, both today and for future generations, will always be of paramount importance to this government. That’s why we need to stay at the cutting-edge of advancements in defence technology, outpacing and out-manoeuvring those who seek to do us harm.”
He said the partnership deal with Italy and Japan underlined Britain’s view “that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are indivisible.”
The involvement of Japan in the deal will automatically raise hackles in Beijing and underlines that NATO and its allies in the Far East increasingly see China as a potential enemy in a future conflict.
The Tempest is designed to replace the Typhoon, which was built by the Eurofighter consortium—which was made up of Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK—and it is understood that other countries could be invited to join.
Sunak Not as Keen to Spend on Defence as Truss
When Liz Truss became prime minister in September she promised to increase the UK’s defence spending to thr3ee percent of GDP by the end of the 2020s, but when Sunak took over in October he rowed back from that and said he would stick to the 2.5 percent commitment which Boris Johnson had given.
On Friday, Sunak said, “The next-generation of combat aircraft we design will protect us and our allies around the world by harnessing the strength of our world-beating defence industry, creating jobs while saving lives.”
The main companies involved in the building of Tempest will be the British firms BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, the Italian aerospace giant Leonardo and Avio Aero, Japan’s Mitsubishi, and the Anglo-French-Italian missile manufacturers MBDA.
Mitsubishi was selected by the Japanese government in 2020 to develop a new fighter, the F-X, and it is understood that work will now be rolled into the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which will produce the Tempest.
The aim is for the Tempest to be flying for the RAF and ready to take over from Typhoon in 2035.
Wallace Says Jet Will Support UK’s ‘Long-Term Security’
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, “This international partnership with Italy and Japan to create and design the next-generation of combat aircraft, represents the best collaboration of cutting edge defence technology and expertise shared across our nations, providing highly skilled jobs across the sector and long-term security for Britain and our allies.”The opposition Labour Party’s shadow defence secretary, John Healey, welcomed the move but said, “Ministers must make clear how this fits with wider plans for the RAF’s future, including how they will prevent delays in fast-jet pilot training and how many F-35 fighters they plan to purchase.”
Healey’s questions were a reference to the F-35 Lightning, a fifth-generation fighter jet which the RAF and the Royal Navy has purchased from the United States.
Junior defence minister Alec Shelbrooke replied, “The review team considered there to be sufficient evidence to support the programme in proceeding to the next phase and awarded an amber delivery confidence assessment rating.”
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